Freewheeling device for motor vehicles



Jan. 21, 1936. A. MAIER 2,028,512

l FREEWHEELING DEVICE FR MOTOR VEHICLES fFiled Jan. so, 1934 Ivre/17er: W qu/ W mme Jn.. 21, 193s PATENT fome-s Albert Maler, Friedrichshafen, Germany, assigner to Zahnradfbrlk Friedrichshafen Aktiengesellschaft, Friedrichshafen, Bodensee, Germany Application January' so, 1934', serrano. '108,947

' InGermanyFebruar-114,193?,

1.0mm. (ci. 19a-4s) ,I

My invention relates to free-wheeling devices for motor vehicles and has special reference to devices of this kind which are inserted behind the Ilr . made inte change speed gear. They may be enclosed by the main gear casing or they may be situated outside thereof, perhaps somewhere' on the propeller shaft, as circumstances may afford.

Any additional clutch mechanism 'may serve for this purpose, but I prefer to use a kind of double-acting one-way clutch, as explained below.

'Ihe object of my invention is the combination of a friction device for synchronizing the shaft portions, when intending to change from freewheelihg to the coupled staterwith a brake for braking the gear shaft attarde-clutching for the purpose of more easily shifting the gears. This combination.. according to my invention, is so constructed that only one operating member is necessary for operating both the friction device and the brake and for operating the additional clutch, the arrangement being made so that the different operations follow in the necessary sequence automatically.

The invention can be explained best when having reference to the drawing which represents an example embodying my invention.

Fig. fis a longitudinn version section through FISA).

Fig.2isasideviewofadetailofFig.1.

cemed i another position. VIl'lg. 4,is a vertical cross section. taken on line 44of1"ig.'1.

Fig. 5' is a fragment of Fig. 4 showing the parts in another position.'

The casing of the change-speed gear is indicated at II.\ Driven shaft I2 ends in a kind of-disc `I3 which has a polygonal outer circumference with inclined individual surfaces' I4. On

these surfaces I 4 rollers I5 are situatedadapted to co-operate with surfaces .I4 and the inner annular surfac of cylindrical member .IG which is' I with shaft I1 to which the propeller shaft I8 is splined. There is a member, splined to shaft I2 adaptedfto be 'shifted longitudinally thereof by' means of forked m-m :s mung into groove 2l and nx'ed toshifting rod 22. 'I'he outer .surface of member Il is'provided with helical splines Il' on which the cage 23 is splined so that 4thiscageisturneglovera certain anglerelative. to lhembers4 I3 and IC-.when'member lcngirudmauycfsncitlz. l

llatitsleftliandmdhllj IU ismoved of the type, (taken on line I -I of.'

penetrate through slits 26 in cage 23 and which -5 extend into corresponding holes 2l' of disc I3 so that member 24 rotates 'together with shaft I2,4

whereas member I6 forms part of shaft I'I and .rotates therewith.

Another annular member 2s is fixed` to forked 1p arm 20 and has an outer conical braking surface 28 adapted to co-operate with a corresponding inner surface 24" of member A24. There are y springs 29 tensioning member 24 towards the left. s'

The mechanism manner: Assuming the stateas shown in Figs. 1 and 4 v' t in which member I9 is in its left hand position andthe fingers 23' of cage 23 are so situated be- -tween rollers I5 that these are free to jam in 20 both turning directions, which means that we have a two-way clutching effect between disc I3 and member I6, or shaft I2 and shaft Il, respectively. 'I'he rollers I5 in Fig. 4 are shown in the position in which they transmit rotation Vfrom 25 shaft d2, turning in the direction of the arrow, to shaft I1. 1 Now the driver wants to come to a free-wheelingstate for changing speed. He turns the gas off and de-clutches themain clutch which'J is not represented.` Consequently 'pro- 30 Fig. 3 is a longitudinal verticalv section corre-f` peller shaft I8 andshaft I1 begin to overrun V spondingf to Fig. 1 but showing the-parts conshaft I2 because of the on-'rolling car. Rollers operates 'in the following l5 I3. The driver now shifts sleeve I9 towards the 35 right thereby turning-cage 23 so that rollers I5 are moved out of their jamming position thereby interrupting the driving connection between shaft lII and shaft I2 through rollers I i. At the same 4 time member 2l moves towards the rightl and 40 l with its surface 28'. bears against member 24 thereby causing this member to move towards the right also and thereby removing surface 24 Vfrom surface I6' ofN member I6. Further movement to the right of member 28 by. means of forked mem- 45 ber 20 and rod 22 causes a braking effect between surfaces 28 andf24", thus actually braking shaft I2 sothat the intended speed-'change can b effected easily. -The roller and cage end position`5 is indicated-in Fig. 5. r

If the driverl thereafter wants to drive n again he moves the member I! back Atowards theleft thereby causing members 2l and 24 to move to' .the lft also lmtil surface f24-'Jiears against face lsothatmembers and 24,thatissbaft Y* N I* n Y i 7,

l'l and shaft I2, are caused to come to equal speed of rotation, member 28 being moved further to the left so that surfaces .24" and 2l' get out of contact. At the same time the projections 23' of cage. 23 are moved back from their position shown. in Fig. 5 to that represented in Fig. 4 so that the rollers I5 are again free to cause jamming connection between I3 and I6 in either direction of rotation. Now the driver can put the clutch in and give gas again.

I do n'ot want to belimited to the details described or shown in the drawing as mam' variations may occur to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

A device of the type comprising: two shafts )substantially in alignment with each other;`

means for connecting both shafts in either direction v'of rotation; means for eliminating the connecting effect in one driving direction; a fixed friction surface; a rotating friction surface in fixed relation to one of said shafts; a shiftable rotatable member having two diiferent'jriction surfaceaonezofsaid latter surfaces vbeing adapted to co-operate with said xed friction surface and the other one being adapted to co-operate with said friction surface-in xed relation to one of said shafts; means for' shifting said shiftable member alternately into and out of either operative position; vand means for operating said, connecting means between lsaid, two shafts; said'operating means being in operative connection with said mea's for shifting saidvshiftable member. 

